New Lights
by YoungWriter11
Summary: It's been 10 years since they graduated school, and life has taken its toll on Blair. She isn't who she once was. When Blair is reunited with Dan Humphrey she finds herself oddly intrigued by him. What happens if Dan feels equally drawn to her?
1. Revelation

My Re-written/Re-vamped/Re-freshed version of_ A New Blair. _I hope you enjoy!

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><p><span>Revelation<span>

-xxx-

Blair stared at the unopened bottle of wine in front of her. Contemplating whether or not to open it. Breaking her focus she stood and took in her surroundings. Her once beautiful apartment now seemed empty and dull, which possibly had something to do with the fact that she was now it's only inhabitant. She opened the bottle of wine and poured herself a glass; her fifth in the last hour.

As Blair staggered across her apartment, she was almost unrecognisable as the girl she once was. Half crying, half laughing, Blair looked at her couch, remembering the time Chuck told her we wanted to have a baby with her. She was so happy, but at the same time so scared at what he was telling her. At the time she felt like her life was a fairy tale. But that is exactly what it was, a fairy tale; too good to be true.

It may have had something to do with the fact that she was slightly drunk, or possibly that she was sick of suppressing her feelings, Blair finally allowed herself to assess her situation. Like a religious revelation, Blair had an epiphany; or something close to it. Her whole life she had only ever lived to impress. To impress her mother and father, whose love she so greatly yearned, to impress her friends, to impress Yale, to impress society. But really the person she needed to impress was herself; to be good enough for herself. All she ever wanted was to have a perfect life, which consisted of, aesthetically pleasing surroundings the perfect boyfriend, the perfect friends, the perfect family, the perfect clothes, a perfect penthouse, and a college degree from Yale of course. But she was done with that Blair; she wanted to be a new one. This Blair would be born tonight.

The past six months spent in a state of depression and alcoholism were going to end here in her apartment tonight. Gone would be the days of drinking away her feelings. With that she emptied her glass of wine, as well as the rest of that bottle. She would have liked to de-clutter her apartment there and then, but she was so tipsy that she could barely walk; it was a wonder she could even think coherently. Thus, she put herself to bed instead.

Whilst she lay in bed, Blair began to devise a 'To Do' list of the essential steps she would need to take to get her life back together. Firstly of course, she needed to sober up, which she decided she would do as soon as the effects of the current alcohol in her system wore off. And then she would need to find a job, because she just couldn't bear being supported by her parents any more, and besides, she is a college graduate. There were other steps on her list, but by the morning those had been forgotten.

xx

Blair woke the next morning to an almighty headache. Usually she would allow herself to stay in bed on mornings such as these, but today was different. She felt different; she _wanted_ it to be different. Although it almost killed her to do so, she pulled herself out of bed, and went to have a shower. Usually when Blair had been drinking she wouldn't remember much from the night before, this was why she would do it. However this morning, as she stood under the hot steam of the shower, she couldn't help but smile as she remembered her plans from the night before. In particular, her 'To Do' list.

Blair didn't have any food in her apartment, so after showering and dressing she took herself down to her favourite café, 'Bouchon' for breakfast and some much needed coffee. Whilst waiting for her breakfast Blair had a look through the newspaper for possible jobs she could apply for. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to find a job, especially since it had been so long since she'd had a job. Because what point was there in having a job when your live with a billionaire. None the less, Blair was determined, that somewhere in New York, she would find a job for a talented journalist, such as herself.

Unsurprisingly a month later Blair was still jobless. However, in this time she had managed to sober up, completely clean her apartment, and sort out some of her emotional issues. The matter of being unemployed was however, still an issue. And this deeply concerned her.

It wasn't about the money; it was about finding herself a purpose.

xx

It was a Friday afternoon when Blair found herself waiting for a job interview for the Manhattan Paper. It was an interview she decided to go to on a whim. She knew she wouldn't get the job, she barely knew what this particular job would entail, but she wasn't taking any chances.

"Blair Waldorf, he's ready for you now." The receptionist called out.

Blair was incredibly nervous; her heart was beating so loudly that she was sure the entire waiting room could here it. She managed to get herself calm and collected before walking into the room.

At a first look the editor of the paper seemed nice enough, friendly even, which slightly calmed her nerves. There was nothing worth than a scary interviewer.

"John Pullman." He said whilst shaking her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Blair responded.

"Please take a seat. So…" He started, "Tell me a bit about yourself Blair. What was your childhood like?". It seemed like a strange question to ask, but Blair obliged and began to tell him about her life growing up on the Upper East Side. Surprisingly Blair, found herself speaking honestly; speaking of her childhood with out the gloss she would usually cover it with.

"This is perfect" Mr Pullman told her once she had finished her story.

"I'm sorry? What exactly do you mean?" Blair queried.

"Well this particular job entails a weekly fluff article about the lives of teenagers. What I was really looking for was someone who had grown up in New York, someone who had experienced the life here, and someone that had their fare share of heartbreaks and interesting stories. I really haven't yet interviewed anyone with adequate qualifications for this job that actually had the experience I was looking for. So Miss Waldorf, that is what I meant by; 'This is perfect'."

"Oh wow, this sound like such a great opportunity, I'm not even sure what to say" Blair managed to stutter out.

"Well all you need to say is yes Miss Waldorf" He enthusiastically told her.

"Yes to what?" she asked confused

"Yes, that you will take the job of course!"

"Of course yes! Thank you so much, you won't regret this." She told him, feeling completely overwhelmed that she had finally got a job.

"Now I should mention of course, that you will be collaborating with one of our senior writers on this column. But don't be alarmed you will have the freedom to write what you wish, this person actually grew up with kids from the Upper East Side too, so should have some similar stories." He told her.

This should have upset Blair, but it really didn't. She had thought that she would want to find a job where she would have complete freedom, but this could be a possible friendship opportunity. A friendship was something Blair could definitely do with right now, as she had few friends left from high school. Most of those bridges had been burned.

"That's great" Blair gladly told him, "when will I be able to meet my partner?" she perhaps too enthusiastically asked.

"Well I can take you round to his office now if you'd like"

"Great" she said.

As they walked Mr Pullman gave her a short rundown on her partner. "He's an excellent writer, he collaborates on many columns in the paper, and writes his own opinion piece each week."

"That's great" She replied as if on auto pilot, finding herself drowsy under the excitement of it all.

As they entered his office, Blair recognised him straight away. She couldn't help but smile at his astonished face. She, herself, was surprised at how refreshing it was to see a familiar face.

"Daniel Humphrey, it's been a while."

-xxx-


	2. Bouchon

**A/N: I'm so sorry, I really wanted to update sooner, but I had exams and I've been sick, but here you are, chapter two as promised!**

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><p><span>Bouchon<span>

-xxx-

Looking out of his window, he observes, looking down at the street. First come the trucks, lumbering down the avenue like dinosaurs, creaky and hollow, raising their flaps to receive garbage or sweeping the street with their whiskey bristles. Then the traffic begins; a lone taxi, followed by a silvery Cadillac, and the smaller trucks, bearing logos of fish and bread and flowers, and the rusty vans, and a parade of pushcarts. A boy in a white coat pumps the pedals of a bicycle with two crates of oranges attached to the fender. The sky turns from gray to a lazy white; he knows something is going to happen to day. A jogger trips by, then another; a man wearing blue scrubs frantically hails a taxi. Three small dogs attached to a single leash drag an elderly women down the sidewalk, while merchants heave open the groaning metal gates on the storefronts. The streaky sunlight illuminates the corners of buildings, and then a mass of humanity swarms from steps beneath the sidewalk. The streets swell with the noise of people's, cars, music, drilling; dogs bark, sirens scream, it's New York. Dan loves New York, and he loves his view.

The view from his office is one of the many things Daniel Humphrey loves about New York. He loves his job, he does what he loves; he writes for a magazine. But it also allows him the time for personal writing. Another thing Dan loves about New York; it's the perfect setting for novel writing. Yes New York is a breeding ground for gossip, but this Daniel Humphrey is not fazed. The city is an inspiration; he can hardly wait to start his new column.

Just as Dan is thinking about the new column, and what sort of a person he will be working with, his boss, John Pullman, walks right through is door. And then he sees her, the girl who had always managed to intimidate him; the one that had always despised him. There she was, Blair Waldorf walking into his office.

Dan didn't know what to think, at first he thought he should be wary, because with Blair Waldorf, you never did know what was going to happen, but then he got a better look of her. There was definitely something different about her.

But of course she would look different, after everything that happened to her. Everyone had heard about it, it was all over the papers. Clear as day, Dan could remember what had been written.

_Allegedly, a mere 24 hours before the wedding between Social light, Blair Waldorf and Billionaire Chuck Bass, Waldorf was struck with horror. A detailed letter pertaining the events taken place between Bass and one of his mistress's on a 'Business Trip' weeks earlier was discovered by Waldorf. Upon the distress of reading the letter Waldorf took to Bass's computer searching for more evidence, when she was found by Bass. The two entered into an argument which soon became violent. Waldorf was found knocked unconscious with bruises across her body. It was later found out that Bass's affairs had dated back to as early as four months into their nine year relationship._

Looking at Blair now almost scares Dan. How do you act around a person, when you know them, just not this version of them.

"Daniel Humphrey It's been a while" Blair says as she extends her hand to him. Contemplating her, in what must have seemed a confused expression Dan replied.

"Blair Waldorf, this is a surprise. Um…" He paused. "What are you doing here?" and just as he says it, he realises. Blair must be the other writer on the column. _Oh dear_ he thinks, _how is this going to work?_

Blair's soft face turned into a slight smile as she looked directly into Dan's eyes, piercing them, before she turning her face to look up at his boss. She knows that he knows.

"The column." Dan says while he nods, answering his own question.

"Yes that's right" Mr Pullman says, "You two are familiar with one another?"

"We used to be." Blair says matter-of-factly, as if this is no big deal.

"We went to school together" Dan adds, suddenly feeling confident again.

"Well this is interesting, Very interesting indeed" Mr Pullman states, clearly excited that they already know each other. "I think I should probably leave you two to catch up. Perhaps you could gather a few ideas for the column."

"Of course" Dan says.

"Right well, I'll leave you then, Blair you can start Monday morning. 9am sharp" Mr Pullman says whilst retreating from the office.

Blair smiles and watches as he walks off. Dan knows that it's now going to be really awkward. But when Blair turns to face him she can't help but laugh, breaking the awkward silence in the air.

"Sorry" Blair says, "I don't really know why I'm laughing, but…this is just sort of hilarious in an awkward kind of way isn't it?" she says in a voice so seemingly sweet. A tone in which Dan doesn't think he's ever heard come from those lips.

Looking at Blair, Dan can't help but notice how beautiful she looks. At school, he would never have looked at her twice; her attitude was always so overpowering (Also he had a bit of a thing for the blonde bombshell back then.). But now he can't help himself.

Her facial complexion looks so incredibly smooth, and she has such beautiful rosy cheeks. Her brown hair has perfectly placed curls and sits just below her shoulders. He notices she isn't wearing her signature headband, and wonders what other aspects of Blair's life have changed. Suddenly Dan realises that he is blatantly staring at her, off in his own world, and Blair has noticed.

"Yeah"' he finally responds whilst laughing, feeling like an awkward teenager again. Even though Blair seems to be keeping her cool, Dan can sense her fragility. She's definitely not the same bold, confident girl he used to know.

"Do you want to go get a coffee?" he asks.

Blair smiles at the suggestion.

xx

Amelia Wood was Dan's turning point in life. She was his summer of awakening. He never imagined his life would be like _this._ Living in an enormous Manhattan apartment definitely wasn't part of the plan. When Dan was first given the opportunity to attend Yale University, he was forced to turn it down due to lack of funds. Dan thought this was the end to his dreams, the only problem was, he hadn't opened is eyes yet. But this all changed when he met _her_

Amelia Wood was five years older than him and an Upper East Sider. The Blair Waldorf of her year; someone he never imagined himself being with, only she wasn't exactly like Blair. He never felt like he was being judged with Amelia, and she expected the same from him. But every now and then Amelia would say or do something that would remind him so much of Blair, which sort of scared him.

Their relationship was purely sexual, neither of them had interest in finding love. After they'd have sex Amelia and Dan would tell each other stories about their lives. Amelia told him how she'd found out her father had been cheating on her mother, and that her mother knew and did nothing to save their family. He realised that most of the girls on the Upper East Side who pride themselves on being perfect, are the ones with the most insecurities and problems. Just like Amelia. This made Dan really think about the girls that he went to school with, and how naive he had possibly been.

Things between Amelia and Dan didn't work out. She moved to Paris for a job, and he stayed in New York. Dan didn't feel like it was that big of a deal, he moved on. What he learnt from Amelia would prove to be more important than he realised, later on in life.

xx

As the two of them walk down the street, Blair realises she's walking down a familiar path.

"Where are we going?" she asks, even though she's fairly certain she knows where.

"Just this place called Bouchon" Dan answers, nonchalantly.

"No kidding! I love Bouchon, it's my favourite café. Do you go often?" she asks as they enter the café.

Dan smiles and replies "Every day. I like the environment here. It's... peaceful. I can come here in the middle of hectic day at work, and just forget about all my worries and relax".

"That's why I come here! For a half hour a day I can come here, have a nice coffee and not have to worry about my thoughts" Blair keenly says. Although she is starting to feel internally scared that the idea of having something in common with Daniel Humphrey, thrills her.

The café is crowded, which is definitely attributed to the fact that the place is so great. It's dimly lit inside, and there's a light buzz of chatter in the air. A young girl sits in the corner, maybe six or seven years old, sipping her milkshake, whilst her mum reads the newspaper, an elderly couple are sharing a piece of cake, some teenagers are having a gossip, a young writer sits by himself typing away on his Macintosh, showing off his impressive talent. Finally they spot an empty table, and they take their place.

Neither of them really knew what to say. They'd both heard stories about each other over the years, but neither are willing to bring up what they've heard just yet.

"I read your books" Blair tells him all of a sudden, breaking the silence.

She anxiously waits to see what Dan will say. She knows this will have surprised him, but she's not the same Blair everyone used to know. And Blair's right, Dan is surprised, which is obvious by the dumbfounded expression plastered on his face.

"Don't seem so surprised. Why wouldn't I want to read the books written by someone I went to school with?" she says while laughing once again. All this laughing surprises even Blair. She doesn't know why, but being around Dan is making her feel… happy.

"Just like I'm sure you read all about me in the papers last year..." She continues, whilst without realising it her smile drops.

"Yeah well I guess I did" Dan tells her honestly, unsure of how to act now.

Sitting in the middle of café after having not seen someone for ten years definitely isn't the write time to start divulging all your problems onto someone. Blair can't work out why she even brought it up.

"Yeah so anyway, I heard you ended up going to Yale? How did that all pan out? Blair asks desperately trying to change the subject.

So Dan told her. He told her how during his freshman year of college at NYU he wrote his first novel. It didn't earn him enough money to attend Yale, but the accolade allowed him the opportunity for a full scholarship. He told her about his time there and how much he was inspired. By the end of it Blair was still listening to every word he was saying. Which was strange, because she used never be able to get away from him quick enough.

"But you still made your way back to the city" She tells him.

"Of course I did. It's New York. How could I live anywhere else?"

xx

Monday morning his hectic, and Blair is out of her whits. It's been so long since she's actually held a job, she isn't sure that she actually can. The temptation to pick up a bottle of vodka on her way to the office was strong, but she resisted.

Unfortunately she managed to sleep through her alarm (since she's not used to waking up early). "_Nine am sharp" _She remembers as she hears her new boss's voice in her head. She currently has ten minutes at the most before she has to be out of her apartment and one her way to work. So by the time Blair actually arrives at work, she hasn't eaten breakfast, she isn't wearing makeup, she's not happy about what she's wearing, and she's aching for alcohol.

As Blair reaches her floor, there is a redheaded girl waiting for her. The girl is very unique looking, so unsurprisingly catches Blair's eye. She's playing with the laces on her Doc Martins, probably trying to work out which way of tying them up works best. When the girl looks up, Blair notices that this girl is around the same age as her.

"Blair Waldorf!" the girl softly yells. "I'd recognise you anywhere she says! You, being the socialite and all. I thought…" The girl continues to talk but Blair doesn't hear it, she's so worried that she's going to screw up this job that she can't think, or even care that someone is trying to suck up to her.

"So are you ready to go?" she eagerly asks.

"Sorry what?" Blair asks dazed with confusion, _what had she just said?_

"I said I'm supposed to show you around the office, and give you an introduction to the magazine. So are you ready to go?" The girl smiles at Blair and she can't help but smile back. She's getting a good vibe from this girl.

"Sure, that'd be great. Let's go" Blair tells her.

"Great, oh and by the way, you can call me Rainbow."

-xxx-


End file.
